Reset Reality, BCR 4
by Drake Clawfang
Summary: It's an odd thing. No matter how many times Yugi and Yami fight evil, they always come out on top...so why are the Millennium Items missing, the Shadow Realm covering Domino, and why is Yami alone? An AU story of the less favorable ending to the BCR Trio.
1. Nightmare

Reset Reality

**Note that the first part of this chapter is what would have been Darek's defeat, had I chosen to finish Year of the Dragon. YotD shall remain unfinished, and the BCR saga shall continue without it. But you guys can still read about Darek's defeat. Personally, I think Yugi's move is awesome, since it shows ya that combining together with friends really CAN save the day.**

Chapter 1

Nightmare

_"Reshef, destroy him!" Darek ordered. Darek's Kaa and most powerful monster fired a silver beam of light, destroying Beta the Magnet Warrior. Yugi fell back to the stone walkway, his Life Points falling to rest at 100._

_"C'mon Yug, you can do this!" Joey shouted._

_"It's hopeless!" Darek laughed. "You have no cards in your hand, and only a single monster face-down. You cannot win this Yugi. Your defeat shall herald a new era, _my_ era, as Pharaoh the world!"_

_"Yugi…you have to win." Yami whispered. The Pharaoh and Drake were still his prisoners, and it seemed that that may not change._

_"He can't lose." Téa said to herself. "We each gave him our most precious cards…we can't lose when we work together like this!"_

_"Oh, give me a break!" Darek snapped. "If this is another friendship speech Gardner, save it! You each gave Yugi a card, but in the end, friendship will always lose! Now Yugi, I'll end my turn by playing the Spell 'Dark Snake Syndrome'. Once I start my next turn, we'll both lose 200 Life Points. I still have 4000 points, and you have only 100. So just end your turn and embrace defeat!"_

_"I…can't…" Yugi whispered, standing up. "Darek..I will defeat you!" Yugi drew his card and gasped. "Alright Darek. I'll start by playing 'Spell of Sanctity', which lets us both draw until we have 6 cards in our hands." Yugi drew six cards, while Darek drew 3._

_"Another pointless move. Why can you not accept this? I've won." Darek growled. Yugi shook his head._

_"Actually Darek, you lost. I play 'Monster Reborn' to revive a monster from my Graveyard. And I choose my Dark Magician." Yugi's favorite card slipped out of Yugi's Graveyard. "Next, a card from a friend of mine, 'The Magician of Faith' (300, 400). Her special ability lets me get a Spell card back from the Graveyard. And I choose Monster Reborn, which I'll use again, this time to revive the card Kaiba gave me!" Kaiba and Drake exchanged glances as the Blue Eyes White Dragon (3000, 2500) appeared on Yugi's field._

_"It doesn't matter how many monsters you revive. My Dark Door card lets you attack with only one monster. This is pointless." Darek said._

_"I'm not done. I'll summon 'Blue Flame Swordsman' (1800, 1600), and play 'Changing of the Guard'. This sends my soldier to the Graveyard to summon a monster from my deck. Meet 'Cyber Commander' (750, 700)." Tristan's card, a man armed with a giant bazooka, appeared. "And when Blue Flame Swordsman is sent to the Graveyard, his Special Ability summoned the normal Flame Swordsman."_

_"Yeah Yug!" Joey cheered. "He got out all our monsters! Kick his butt Yugi!"_

_"He can't you fool!" Darek crowed. "Dark Door only allows one attack, and he doesn't have enough power to do 4000 damage in one turn!"_

_"Wrong, Darek. Dark Door only allows one monster to attack, true. But now there's a way for all my monsters to combine their strength together and attack as one! Yugi shouted._

_"You lie, no card is so powerful." Darek sneered._

_"Darek, when friends combine their powers and unite together, there's no limit to how powerful that bond can be." Yugi said. "Take a look Darek. Each of my friends gave me a card to defeat you with, and now we can work as one. The only power you have comes from your lone monster, Reshef. But now Reshef shall fall! Darek, allow me to show you the power of friends when they unite!" Yugi slipped a card into his Duel Dis/ "I activate 'United We Stand'!" The Dark Magician stood up straight and raised his staff into the air. Blue Eyes, Magician of Faith, Flame Swordsman, and Cyber Commander all glowed a bright blue._

_"What's going on?" Darek snarled._

_"When my monsters unite, there's nothing that can stop them, and this card lets them do just that. Now my Dark Magician can absorb the power of all my monsters, gaining 800 attack points for every monster on my side of the field!" tendrils of blue energy snaked from Yugi's 4 monsters into the Dark Magician's staff. "That's a grand total of 6500 points Darek, enough to destroy Reshef _and_ wipe out your Life Points!" Darek gasped and took a step back._

_"No…it's impossible!" He screamed. Yugi smiled._

_"Now Darek, feel the power of unity! Dark Magician, use the power of your comrades, and attack! Crush Reshef and destroy Darek, once and for all!" Dark Magician's staff glowed a brilliant blue, and with a roar of victory, Dark Magician fired a bolt of blue energy at Reshef. The dark Fiend roared as the blue light consumed him in a ball of energy before exploding. Darek let out a cry of rage as his Kaa shattered like glass, his Life Points dropping to 0._

_"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_

- - - - - - - - - -

Yami let out a gasp and sat up in his sleeping bag, panting. Beside him on the bed, Yugi woke up and looked down at the former spirit before turning on the light. Solomon was planning to get a bunk bed so Yami could have his own bed, but until then, the spirit was comfortable with sleeping on Yugi's floor.

"Yami? Are you okay?" Yugi asked, looking down at him. Yami reached up and wiped the sweat off his brow.

"Yes…I'm fine." The pharaoh muttered. Yugi narrowed his eyes.

"Yami, you've been having nightmares ever since you got your own body and we rescued you from Darek. Don't lie, I can tell when my friends are hiding something." He said sternly. "What's up?" Yami took a breath.

"Darek." He whispered. Yugi frowned.

"Darek? But…we beat him. We freed Drake and banished Darek back inside Drake's heart, remember? He's gone." He said.

"I know Yugi, but…we came close." Yami explained.

"Close to what?" Yami looked up.

"Close to losing. Yugi, I know we've beaten all our challenges, but Darek took our task to a whole new level. If you hadn't won that duel…who knows what might have happened." Yugi nodded. Darek was an ancient warlord, reincarnated in the body of a boy named Drake Clawfang. Darek hadn't just talked about taking the Millennium Puzzle like Maximillion Pegasus and the spirit of the Millennium Ring, Barakhan **(1). **He had actually beaten Yami at the Konami Grand Prix, and taken the final Millennium Item. But that wasn't enough for the ancient spirit.

Darek had kidnapped Yami and taken him to his ruined tomb in the sands of Egypt. Darek had planned to kidnap Kaiba, and then, using the souls of Yami, Kaiba and Drake, tear down the barrier separating the Shadow Realm and Earth, effectively merging them together. But Yugi and Kaiba had joined forces, and defeated Darek. With his Kaa, Reshef the Dark Being, destroyed, Darek couldn't maintain his own body, and was sent back into Drake's, then sealed away by the combined powers of the Millennium Items.

"I guess…Darek might have succeeded in his goals." Yugi said slowly. "Yami, try not to think about it. We have school tomorrow, so let's go back to sleep." Yugi turned off the light and curled back up on his bed. Yami tossed him a glance before laying back down and staring up at the ceiling for what seemed like hours before falling asleep.

- - - - - - - - - -

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Yami groaned and turned over in his bed.

"Yugi, turn off your alarm." He muttered. The beeping continued, and Yami sighed. He sat up to turn it off himself, and froze. This wasn't Yugi's bedroom.

The room he was in was pristine white, not a speck of dust. In fact, the sheer…_white_ of the room was hurting his eyes. He wasn't on the floor, rather a hard bed with a single pillow and dirty blanket. A buzzer sounded from a screen on the wall, prompting Yami to look at it. It read IRREGULAR SLEEP PATTERN DETECTED. REPORT TO CLINIC FOR TREATMENT. As Yami reread the message, it erased, and new words appeared. PROJECT SHADOW BEAM, INITIALIZING TODAY. TARDINESS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. EAT AND REPORT TO WORK. Yami rubbed his temples and shook his head.

"I'm dreaming, I've gotta be dreaming. Yugi, pinch me." He said to himself. He looked around and got to his feet. Taking a look around, Yami caught sight of a window. He smiled and ran to look outside. He put his hands on the sill to look out, and gasped.

The town of Domino sprawled before him. Yami figured he had to be at least 10 stories up. Across the horizon, Kaiba Corp loomed above the city. 4 twisted black spires has been constructed on the roof, leaning inwards to a taller, 5th spire. The sky was a mass of tumbling purple clouds, sparking and flashing. Below, no cars ran along the streets, no smiling pedestrians walks the sidewalks. On a skyscraper, a haunting image appeared to Yami's eyes. The image depicted a human in agony, a purple eye of Anubis on their forehead. The billboard read "Don't fight it! Studies show resisting the Shadow Realm increases the likelihood of mental illness". Underneath the words, spray-painted in gold, were7 words: Domino Resistance Forces. The DRF is hope.

"Shadow Realm…" Yami whispered, looking up at the purple clouds covering the sky. A large roar caught his attention, and Yami looked down at the street.A large boar-like creature pulled a gigantic stone tablet down a street. Overhead, a half-dozen men rode a familiar yellow dragon.

"Curse of Dragon?" Yami gasped. The men were all wearing black capes with black jumpsuits underneath. Suddenly, all of them turned to look behind them, and Yami followed their gazes. A flaming red dragon soared across the sky, flying straight towards them. Curse of Dragon flew to avoid a stream of flame, and the man at the front lifted a large cannon-like object. A large net flew out of the object, and wrapped around the flaming dragon, immobilizing it in mid-air. The other men lifted up different gun-cannons and fired beams of golden energy at the dragon. The dragon glowed and shot to the ground, meeting the stone tablet below. With a flash, the dragon vanished, and an image of it appeared on the stone.

"They're capturing the Kaa." Yami whispered, recalling his recovered memories. He looked down and lifted a hand to his chest. This wasn't the blue school uniform Yugi had gotten for him, nor was it the black sweatshirt he wore around Yugi's home. Yami was wearing a one-piece dark-purple jumpsuit. A purple Eye of Anubis was emblazoned on the chest.

"The Eye of Anubis…" He whispered. Normally, the Eye was gold. But Yami had met one man whose heart was so dark, it tainted the symbol purple. "Darek…" Yami looked up at the dark town that lay before him. Duel Monsters running around, men capturing them, and this strange white room…

Yami just had a terrifying thought. If he had no idea where he was…what had happened to Yugi? Téa, Joey, Tristan? Kaiba, Drake, Anthony, Carol, Dax…Yami bit his lip. He was safe inside, but…what if they were out there, among the monsters? Yami turned as the screen on the wall beeped again. THE TRANSPORT WILL LEAVE IN 4 MINUTES. PLEASE REPORT TO THE DOCKTO ATTEND THE CLINIC. AFTERWARDS, REPORT TO WORK. Yami narrowed his eyes.

"What on Earth is going on here?" He whispered, stepping away from the window. Whatever was happening, he had to find the others. Once they were safe, then there would be time to untangle the mystery. Yami approached the door and twisted the knob. He took a breath and opened the door.

**1: I'll spare ya the details, but this is what I'm calling the Spirit of the Millennium Ring.**


	2. Survival of the Fittest

Reset Reality

**Okay, a chapter dedication to the reviewer who can figure out, from the info in this chappie, what happened to Domino. I hint at it here, but I'll confirm it in a few chapters.**

Chapter 2

Survival of the Fittest

Yami was greeted by a long hall lined with doors. Thankfully, the hall was of grey marble, so he spared the blinding white. He closed the door behind him and slowly walked down the hall. A door opened ahead of him, and a man emerged, talking on a cell phone.

"I dunno, something about irregular eating patterns." He said. "They just want to send me to the Clinic, so I'll see you later, I'm gonna be late for the transport. Okay, bye." The man clicked off his cell phone and cast Yami a glance before heading down the hall. Yami narrowed his eyes. So, whomever he was, this man was also heading to the Clinic. He took a breath and followed the man, staying several steps behind.

The man led Yami to another door. The man opened the door and walked through. Yami followed to a large balcony. A short set of stairs led up over the railing to the edge. Yami put his hands on the railing and looked over the city.

This made no sense at all. Why was the Shadow Realm here? Where was everyone? Where were the Millennium…Yami gasped and looked down. How could he have missed it! The Millennium Puzzle was gone! He looked up and frowned. What could possibly have happened overnight to turn the town into this dark world of chaos?

"It's early." The man muttered, climbing up the stairs. Yami looked to his right as a small capsule-shaped craft flew through the sky. "C'mon pal, let's go." The man said, as the shuttle stopped in front of him. The side of the shuttle opened inwards, and the man walked inside. Yami jumped up the stairs and followed him. The pilot, a young, blonde woman held out a large, flat object with a scanner on the front panel.

"Scan your bracelet." She ordered. Yami looked down at his wrist and noticed a bland, silver band running over his wrist. He lifted his hand and placed the bracelet over the scanner. It beeped. "Okay, ID checks out, Yugi Muto, age 21." The woman muttered. "It says you've got irregular sleep patterns. Heading to the Clinic?" She looked up, and Yami just nodded dumbly. "Okay, take a seat." The woman said, pointing to a few rows of seats behind her. Yami walked past her and sat down. There were 3 people- the man he had seen when he had boarded, a young red-haired woman with glasses sitting in front of him, and an elderly man with a receding hairline. The shuttle started forward, and Yami found himself lost in thought once again.

Yugi Muto, age 21. Yugi was only 16. He couldn't possibly have aged5 years overnight, it was impossible. And Yami certainly wasn't Yugi! They did look alike, but now that they had separate bodies, most people could tell the difference. So, if he was being passed off as Yugi, was the real Yugi out there somewhere, being mistaken for Yami? Yami stared out a small window overlooking Domino, and noticed Kaiba Corp coming closer. He peered closer at the building of his rival.

At each of the 4 corners of the roof rose a pitch black spire. The spires rose 20 feet before coming to a tapered point. The spires were triangular in shape, and made of smooth black steel. In the middle of the roof rose a 5th spire, twice as tall as the rest. It too was made of black steel, but about 5 feet from the top, 8 spikes came from the spire. 4 pointed down, angling towards the smaller spires. The other 4 points rose up to surround the spire tip. Occasionally, a jolt of electricity shot from one of the top points to another.

"It's tonight." Yami looked away from the window. The red-haired woman in front of him was also looking at the series of black spires atop Kaiba Corp.

"What's tonight?" Yami asked, getting her attention. The woman sighed and took off her glasses, cleaning them on her sleeve. She, like Yami and everyone else he had seen, wore the same dark-purple jumpsuit.

"Project Shadow Beam." She growled. Yami gasped. The screen in that room had mentioned something like that. "You know, for a while I hoped. I really did. Too bad for me." She said, standing up as the shuttle stopped.

"What's Project Shadow Beam?" Yami asked. The woman turned to him, and a look of recognition came into her eyes as her lips curled into a sneer.

"You should know." She spat. "You're one the engineers on the Project." The woman turned and walked out the shuttle entrance, leaving Yami stunned.

How could he be an engineer on the Project? He didn't even know what it was. Yami groaned, then noticed the shuttle wasn't moving.

"Hey! Muto!" Yami looked forward to see the pilot leaning around the back of her seat. "Your stop." She said. Yami nodded and walked forward, when he got an idea. He stepped out of the shuttle and turned to the pilot.

"Excuse me." He said to the pilot. "I was wondering if you know where I might be able to find a Yami Atemu." He said. If he and Yugi had somehow switched identities, maybe Yugi had his name. The pilot glared.

"Is this your idea of a joke?" She snapped. Yami shook his head. "Yami is dead, pal. Get a clue." The shuttle door closed, and the shuttle drove away, leaving Yami standing alone on the roof of an abandoned building. Kaiba Corp was just a few blocks away. But that couldn't possibly be this Clinic place, could it? And how could he….Yami…what was going on? Yami let out a snarl and fell to his knees, slamming the ground with his fists.

"Damn it!" He screamed, the curse echoing down the lonely streets. What in the name of all the Gods of Egypt was happening? Yami stood up and looked around. He noticed a fire escape and raced down it two stairs at a time. He recognized this neighborhood. He ran down the street and made a left, looking for what _had_ to be there. If there was anyone else in this dark place, they would be there. Yami turned the corner and skidded to a halt.

"No." He whispered. He shook his head and jogged forward to a small, broken-down store lying next to a vacant lost. Yami looked down at the broken, shattered sign that had fallen from over the doorway of the shop. The sign had faded and was cracked, but he could read enough of it. Turtle Game Shop. Yami shook his head and raised his eyes to the boarded-up door of his hikari's home. Yami stepped back and charged, ramming it shoulder through the wood. It gave away easily, and Yami fell through to land on the hard, cold tile inside.

Yami coughed and stood up. The inside of the shop had obviously been abandoned long ago. A thick layer of dust covered everything, and spider webs lined the ceiling. Yami took a step forward, and felt something shift under his feet. He knelt down and felt around in the dust, and picked up an old, discarded calendar. The dates had been crossed off up to a point. Yami looked at what date had been the last one crossed off.

"The day of the Konami Grand Prix Finals." He said to himself. The day after that was not crossed off, and must have been when the dates had stopped being marked. The day after the finals would have been… "Yugi's duel with Darek." Yami muttered, placing the calendar on a shelf. He walked up the steps behind the counter and ascended to the second floor. The door to Solomon's room was fallen into the hall, and there was no one inside. The door to Yugi's room was closed. Yami opened it, and stepped inside.

"Yugi?" He called hopefully. There was no response. The Turtle Game Shop was a ghost house. No one had been inside in years. Yami hung his head and backtracked. He shoved a broken 2-by-4 out of the way and emerged back on the street. Alright. Scratch any hope of finding the gang at the game shop. Yami shook his head and started walking down the street. He froze when he heard a loud cough. Yami's head whirled around to stare at another abandoned building before running to the door and throwing it open.

4 heads looked up to stare at him before they started to back away. Yami looked down at the small group standing around a smoldering lump of firewood sitting in a trashcan. 1 was in a badly damaged wheelchair, one wheel bent out of shape. Another was missing an arm, and had their sleeve ties just below the elbow. It was then that Yami noticed that this group was not wearing the jumpsuits; they were wearing the clothes Yami remembered, simple casual clothes.

"Hey." Yami spun around, and a man behind him snapped his hand back, hastily reached to his wrist and pulling the sleeve down. Yami glanced and thought he saw the letters 'DRF' tattooed in black on the man's arm, but the sleeve was pulled down before he could be sure. "What are you doing here?" The man asked sternly. Yami swallowed.

"I'm sorry…I was looking for my friends." He said. The man nodded.

"I see. Normally a Tainted would be reprimanded for being out in the middle of nowhere. Do you suffer some sort of mental or physical defect?" The man asked. Yami thought about that, and all he had seen since he had woken up.

"I'm starting to wonder. I haven't understood anything I've seen today, and everyone I know has vanished." He admitted. The man's hard gaze softened slightly.

"Ah, I see, you're a Banish. Do not worry, it is not all bad here. If He has no use for someone, either due to a physical or mental deficiency, He casts them out. The Tainted have to live in fear of Him, but He needs them, so at least they get to live a relatively good life. We have to struggle for food since He doesn't supply us, and sometimes His patrols harass us. But unless He suspects us of allying with the DRF, He doesn't cause us trouble. Of course, He doesn't go out of His way to help us live either. Survival of the fittest." The man explained. Yami narrowed his eyes as the man nodded to the group of people. One of them pulled up a hatch in the ground, and the other 4 climbed down a ladder.

"You kept saying 'He'." Yami said. "Who is this 'He'?" The man scowled.

"Who else?" He muttered. "Darek." Yami's blood ran cold as the man walked past him onto the street.

"Darek?" Yami muttered, looking up at the clouds covering Domino. The man nodded and looked over his shoulder.

"I suggest you follow them to shelter." He said. "In a few moments, things shall get very unpleasant." The man jogged down the street into an alley. Yami walked onto the street and looked to the side. Here and there, there was a shadow of activity. It was like entering a room when someone else has just left. Like remnants of a group, shadows of retreating figures vanished down alleys. Yami stood and noticed that, even for the ghost town Domino had become, the street was abnormally quiet. Yami remembered the man's words.

"They're running." He realized. The man's lower arm had indeed held the tattoo 'DRF'. The Domino Resistance Forces. They were here. And something was happening that they knew about, and that they didn't want innocent bystanders caught in. What was…

Yami spun around as a large black building exploded just a block away. The lower floors of the building erupted into flame that spewed onto the streets as the building shook. Yami fell to his knees as a tremor hit him, followed by a sound wave so large it hurt his ears. The building collapsed into its own foundation, sending a massive cloud of dust washing over the streets and crashing past Yami. Yami coughed and stood up.

"That's what he meant." He muttered. He squinted into the dust and turned, trying to find the building with the people. If he followed them, maybe he could find that man again, and find out more about what was going on. Yami reached up to rub his eyes and took a few steps forward. He looked around through the thick cloud for something, _anything_ to clue him as to where he was, when a sound caught his ear. Yami turned his head and listened. There it was again. A footstep. He wasn't alone.

Yami just stood there for a moment, listening intently, alone in the thick cloud. Every now and then, another footstep would echo in the silence. Yami heard about a half dozen, before he heard a 7th. And that final step had come from right behind him. Yami whirled around, and found himself face to face with the cold steel of a double barrel shotgun. Yami stepped back and held up his hands, and the shotgun took another step forward, keeping itself an inch from his face. Yami's eyes cast down the length of the barrel, up a muscular and scarred arm, to a face. Yami gasped as he saw the person holding him at gunpoint.

He knew this person…

**Ah, my first cliffy! Who is it? Is it Yugi, Darek? Ah, I love evil cliffies, I admit it, I do! Mwa ha!**


	3. A Little Explanation

Reset Reality

**Chapter dedication to Dreammistress Jade. Now, I'll spill the beans. What happened to Domino? Ho boy…**

Chapter 3

A Little Explanation

The person holding Yami at gunpoint was a young woman. The arm holding the shotgun was semi-muscular, and covered with small bruises and cuts that were still heaving. Her face was smudged with dirt and soot. She wore a loose brown trenchcoat that was severely tattered and ripped, over a pair of black jeans and a blue T-shirt. She had ear-length brown hair that was matted to her head with dirt and sweat. Ice-blue eyes stared at Yami with a mixture of recognition and hatred. Yami blinked. He did know her?

"You…" He whispered. The woman scowled and pushed him aside to fire at something behind him. Yami skidded on the road, his elbows getting bloodied, as he turned to watch as another Kaa dove out of the dust. The woman spun and clubbed the creature in the head before reaching into the pocket of her trenchcoat with her free hand and withdrawing a Desert Eagle, killing the Kaa at point blank range. She looked up at the dust cleared and cursed. She spun around and ran down the street. Yami looked up at several flying Kaas before climbing to his feet.

"Wait!" He shouted, running after the woman. She ran a few blocks before turning into an abandoned theatre. She kicked down the door and charged inside. Yami looked up as the Kaas flew down, and ran in after her. On the street, two of the Kaas landed, 2 Hitotsu-Me-Giants jumping off each of them and running inside as Yami.

The woman was halfway down the aisle when Yami found his way into the large cinema room.

"Hold on!" Yami called. The woman spun and fired. Yami dove to the ground as 3 bullets raced through the air. He wasn't sure if that was a warning shot, or if her aim had just been off, but he didn't care. He climbed up and looked around. The woman had vanished. Yami spun as the Giants charged into the large room, they glared at Yami. One of them, wearing a large red band over its biceps, nodded, and the other 3 Giants clomped down the aisle past Yami. The Giant wearing the red bands walked up to him.

"J'ou should not be here." He rasped in barely understandable English. The Giant grabbed Yami's arm and pulled Yami up to examine it. "Muto. J'ou are on the Project. Why are you here?" He snarled, pulling Yami up to eye level. Shots came from the stage, and the head Giant whirled his head to stare as one of his men fell off the stage, a pair of messy holes in his chest. The Giant tossed Yami to the ground and stomped to the stage as the mysterious woman fired down at them from the catwalk. One of the Giants was trying to climb the stairs after her, but was too big to fit. The head Giant roared something Yami didn't understand, and the others stomped to the other side of the catwalk.

Yami looked up. The woman was fumbling with the shotgun in her hands, trying to reload it. She gasped as the gun slipped from her grasp, falling to the stage below. The head Giant roared, and his men slammed their fists into the stars leading to the catwalk. The woman stumbled to the railing as their fists caused the steel walkway to shake. They grabbed the stairs and pulled. The steel groaned as the Giants ripped it apart, tossing it to the ground. With the stairs gone, the catwalk leaned towards the two Giants as it bent under its own weight. The head Giant pulled a lethal-looking boomerang from a satchel around his shoulder and threw it. It sliced the air and snapped the thick cables holding the catwalk. The woman screamed as the steel bent and snapped, and collapsed to hang from the suspended part of the catwalk.

Yami ran forward and jumped onto the stage, grabbing the fallen shotgun and cartridge, He hastily reload and spun as one of the two lackey Giants marched towards him. Yami aimed and fired, falling back at the surprise recoil. The Giant roared as the shot penetrated his gut. Yami fired again, and this time the Giant fell. The second Giant received a shot to the head, collapsing in a heap. Yami grasped as the head Giant slammed a monstrous fist into his back, sending him flying along the stage. He stepped forward, and the woman above him dropped onto his shoulder. The Giant fell, and the woman pulled her handgun out, pressing it to the Giant's head. She fired 4 times, the mighty Kaa fell silent. Yami climbed to his feet and stepped forward as the woman raided the leader's satchel. She noticed Yami and quickly got to her feet, pointing her hand gun at his head. Yami just calmly walked up to her and reached up. He slowly wrapped a hand around the gun and pushed it down. The woman glared at him, and Yami smiled in relief.

"Téa." He whispered. Téa Gardner snorted.

"So…you aren't dead. Damn." She replied. She picked up a small blue box from the Giant's satchel and marched past Yami.

"Téa…what's going on here?" Yami called, following her. "I fell asleep in Yugi's room, and I wake up, and…I wake up to this place? What's happening?" He demanded. Téa ignored him and retrieved the shotgun Yami had dropped before reaching under a certain and picking up a black briefcase. She kneeled and opened it, pulling out more cartridges and stowing them in her pocket. Yami looked over her shoulder and gasped. Plastic explosives, detonators, timing devices, wiring, first aid supplies, and 3 silver bracelets lay in the case, among other things.

"Téa…what is all this stuff?" Yami asked. Téa snorted.

"Standard issue for the DRF." She muttered. She thought for a moment, then pulled a second gun from the briefcase and held it out to Yami. "Here. If you plan to wander the streets alone, carry a weapon." She advised. "That blast a little while ago was us, as you probably guessed. We managed to hit a few prominent researchers and a few powerful Kaa, but there wasn't really a lot of damage. Told them we had to wait until the morning shifts started, but they wanted to go sooner…" Yami snatched the gun and tossed it away.

"Damn it Téa, what happened?" Yami snarled. "Where is everyone, why is everyone terrified of Darek? Where are the Millennium Items, what is Project Shadow Beam…god damn Téa, what happened?" Téa closed her briefcase.

"You don't remember?" she muttered, looking up at him. "Fine. Not here though, they'll hear us." Téa opened a door backstage and jerked her head for Yami to follow. Téa led Yami down a flight of stairs into the basement of the theatre. "You might want to sit down, this will take a while." Téa said, sitting on the steps. Yami picked up an old folding chair and opened it to sit before her. "So, you want to know what happened? Darek happened." Yami narrowed his eyes. "When Yugi lost to him 5 years ago, Darek more or less got his wish. He opened the gates…"

"Yugi won." Yami said suddenly. Téa shook her head.

"Wishful thinking, but he lost." Yami clenched his eyes shut.

"No…I was there! Yugi summoned all our monsters, he had United We Stand…"

"Magic Cylinder." Téa interrupted. Yami looked up.

"What?"

"Darek, he had Magic Cylinder set as a Trap. Yugi attacked, Darek redirected it back to him. Took him out." Téa explained. Yami slowly shook his head.

"Impossible…I remember him winning…"

"And I remember him losing!" Téa snapped angrily. "You don't even remember this shit, I do! So don't try and tell me what I _know_ happened!" Yami was taken back. The Téa he knew never talked like that. "Anyway, we managed to rescue you and Drake anyway, and we got one of the Millennium Items. But, Darek had his soul, the souls of the 4 Horsemen, and 6 Millennium Items. He decided if he couldn't envelop the world in the Shadow Realm all at once, he'd do it little by little. He started with Japan. Every day, some poor loser out there is picked at random. They lose their soul, Darek's power grows, and the Shadow Realm grows bigger. Right now, it covers the Pacific Ocean and most of Asia. Europe, Africa and North and South America are safe from it for now, but Darek took over those places by force using the Kaa he captured here. As it stands, either by using the Shadow Realm to steal the souls of those who oppose him, or by using Kaa to enforce his laws, Darek controls the world." Yami snorted.

"You're lying." He muttered. "You said Darek uses the Shadow Realm to steal the soul of anyone who opposed him. If that were true, how does the DRF function?" Téa smirked

"I told you, we managed to smuggle out one of the Millennium Items." She explained, pulling down the collar of her shirt. He grabbed a thread around her neck and pulled it up for Yami to see. Hanging on the thread, enclosed in a small glass bauble, was a glowing piece of gold. Yami gasped.

"That's…"

"A piece of the Millennium Puzzle." Téa confirmed, dropping it back under her shirt. "Darek's power is spread thin as the Shadow Realm glows, so he can't maintain full power here. All DRF members have one. It's enough to keep us safe, or as safe as we can be." Yami sighed.

"Téa…what happened to the others? What happened to Yugi?" He asked. Téa bit her lip and looked down.

"Tristan and Joey…Tristan was killed in an early patrol by Darek's men. Joey lived for a few years. We joined the DRF together. He got killed about 2 years ago." Yami noticed Téa pointedly avoiding answering his question about Yugi. "Drake escaped. He joined the DRF too. I don't see him that much though, so he may have died, and I may have just missed the news. Anthony got killed a while back, roasted by a fiery dragon of some kind. Dax and Carol were DRF members for a while. Carol got left behind in an attack and was lost. Dax is still alive, and still a member of the DRF. I'm not sure what happened to Pegasus and Kazuki." Téa's expression grew hateful.

"As for…_Kaiba._" She spat. "He's Darek's second in command, in charge of Domino while Darek heads out the world from somewhere in the US. We had thought maybe he'd been brainwashed, but no. He's himself. He just turned himself in to live. I have no clue what happened to Mokuba, and I honestly don't give a shit. That entire back-stabbing family can go to hell." Yami leaned forward.

"Téa…I have to know…what happened to Yugi?" He asked. Téa looked away. "Téa…is he alive?" Yami asked.

"That depends on how you define living." She said quietly. "Darek forced him to bond with his Kaa, and he…I know this isn't the right term, but he mutated him into a monster. Then he used the Millennium Items to capture him. Kaiba keeps Yugi locked up in Kaiba Corp, as some sort of…I'm not even sure what to call it. Yugi is more or less Kaiba's pet Kaa." Téa wrung her hands. "I've heard that he does have his own mind, but, since Darek captured him…he controls him. Whenever Darek captured Tristan or any of us, he made a big show of forcing Yugi to kill them. I can't imagine what else he's made Yugi do." Yami growled. Damn Darek. "Kaiba operates out of Kaiba Corp, that's where Darek led before he moved his base across to the US. Between Kaiba, the Shadow Realm, and his army of Kaa, Darek reigns supreme."

"So, mankind is doomed." Yami growled. Téa glared.

"Don't say that! We fight!" She snarled. She looked down at Yami's bracelet. "And now that I think about it, you may be able to tip the scale." She looked up at Yami. "Yami, you're one the engineers on Project Shadow Beam. We need you. The DRF needs you."

"What is it? I'm not even sure what Project Shadow Beam is." Yami reminded her.

"Darek has found some way to link Kaiba Corp's technology to the Millennium Items. Those spires atop Kaiba Corp are the conduits for all the energy Darek has drained from the Kaa. There are matching spires all over Asia and in boats out in the Pacific, but the Kaiba Corp system is the joining point. Yami, Darek wants complete control over the Shadow Realm. Not to use it with the Millennium Items, but full and total control, ingrained onto him, like an inate knowledge. Project Shadow Beam takes the energy captured from the Kaa, along with the powers of the Millennium Items, and links it through a network of spires. That power is then focused into a generator in Kaiba Corp, to be absorbed by Darek."

"What does that mean?" Yami asked. Téa clenched her hands.

"It means Darek will have the powers of the Kaa and the Millennium Items directly ingrained onto him. He won't need the Items to rule us. He'll more or less be a God on Earth. But, if it fails…the process drains the Millennium Items of their strength, Yami. If the Kaiba Corp generator is destroyed, Darek won't get his power, he'll lose it entirely. Darek's army of Kaa will be weakened, the Millennium Items will lose their power, Darek's forces will be at their weakest, and Darek will lose control of the Shadow Realm. Yami, it will be opening the DRF, and all Mankind, if waiting for. If Darek's control wanes, humans can fight back. We'll be able to stop him."

"If it fails." Yami echoed. "So what's my part?"

"Yami, Darek has spent an entire year on the Project. Every calculation, every single data point, has to be exact. We need them to be off. You're an engineer on the Project, Yami. You can get close enough to disable it." Téa said hopefully. "Please. The DRF needs you."

"Téa…I want no part of this. This isn't the way things are supposed to be." Yami snapped. "Yugi won that duel, Darek was defeated, Kaiba never." He was cut off as Téa slapped him full across the face.

"Stop living in your damn fucking fantasy world!" Téa screamed, jumping to her feet. "You spent years preaching about how it was your destiny to save Mankind, so here's your chance Yami!" Téa calmed down slightly. "Yami…if Project Shadow Beam works, we'll never be able stop Darek. You're our only hope. Please…" Yami sighed and hung his head.

"What do I do?" He muttered bitterly. Téa bit her lip.

"I'll arrange a contact for you. I'll have to talk to the Commander of the DRF first. For now, go to work. Your bracelet is like your ID, it'll get you by. Just go about like a willing servant for now."

"How do I know who the DRF members are?" Yami cut in. Téa shrugged.

"I'll give your contact a password, that should do it." Yami smiled.

"How about 'Friendship'?" He asked, only half joking. Téa barely been blinked.

"Don't start. Friendship is a nice dream Yami, but it takes more than a few pep speeches to win a war. And that's what this is: a war. Us versus Darek, and we can't afford to lose it while we waste our time with hopeless dreams." Téa thought. "How about…Pharaoh?" Yami nodded, rather put off by Téa's harsh words. "Go to work, you have to be there within 2 hours. I'll arrange your contact." Téa turned and walked up the stairs to the theatre, leaving behind Yami, who was now wondering if he had willingly signed his death warrant.

**And now...to advertise...**

**Life and Times: BCR 5**

**Barakhan, Spirit of the Millennium Ring returns to kill Yami. Dax and Joey face off with Mai's heart on the line. Drake begins to have dreams of Tea. The Millennium Items are scattered to new owners. Are these things signs of a darker presence arising?**

**Don't miss part 5/7 of the Battle City Revisited Saga!**


	4. At Fault

Reset Reality

**Heh...lots of foreshadowing here...**

Chapter 4

At Fault

Yami sat in that cold, damp basement for a near hour. Yugi…trapped as a Kaa. Joey…dead. Tristan was dead. Kaiba…a traitor. Drake, probably dead. He finally stood and walked to the top of the steps to find a small letter. It was from Téa, directing him to work. His contact would find him there. And that was how Yami had ended up walking the streets, lost in thought.

How could this have happened? Yugi defeated Darek, didn't he? But then, as Téa had pointed out, he had forgotten everything for the longest time. Perhaps he was wrong? Maybe Darek had won, and Yami had just created fake memories to deal with…no. It couldn't be just a figment of Yami's imagination. This world, whatever it was, could not possibly be real.

Yami entered the doors of the building he was listed as working at, nodding at the receptionist. He entered the elevator as it opened, two more people climbing in with him. Yami waited as one of them pushed the button for the 25th floor. Yami's floor. The elevator rose, the back wall of glass looking over the city as it rose. One of the two people, a young blonde woman, turned and looked out over the city.

"Damn them." She growled. Yami and the other person turned to follow her gaze. In the distance was the smoking heap of rubble that was left from the bombing that morning. "It's their fault. If those DRF bastards would stop the rebellion, Darek would not have to worry about rebels, and would loosen up his security. They're just making the situation worse."

"Perhaps. But it is human nature to fight an enemy." Yami said. In reality, he was boiling. The DRF was at fault for Darek's actions? The DRF fought to free these ungrateful cretins! The woman snorted.

"It is futile to fight a war you cannot win. Hope only matters when it is true hope. False hope is worth nothing." The elevator opened on the 25th floor, and the three got out. Yami looked for the room Téa's note had said, and found the numbered door. Yami held his bracelet to the scanner by the door, and it beeped, the lock opening. Yami entered a surprisingly normal-looking office room, complete with cubicles. Someone, a brunette teen, looked up at Yami as he walked by.

"'Bout time you showed up." He grumbled. "Where have you been?"

"The Clinic. Irregular sleep patterns." Yami replied, quoting that screen in his room. The teen grunted and turned back to his computer. Yami found his and sat down. Computers. Yugi had tried to explain them to him, but Yami would barely master Microsoft Word and the Calculator programs. He didn't see why so many liked them: for every problem they solved, it seemed to him they created 2 more. Yami looked over this computer. There was no keyboard, no mouse. But there was a pair of electrodes, with a small diagram taped to the side of the screen, showing the electrodes attaching to the back of the hands.

Yami attached the electrodes, and the screen flashed an array of colors. Yami looked up in surprise. What was that? He shook his head. Why couldn't Téa have warned him about this? As he thought that, the screen beeped. Yami stared as a profile filtered on screen, followed by a picture of Téa. Yami frowned, then an idea came to him. _Joey Wheeler. _Téa's profile vanished, and Joey's came on screen, the word DECEASED over his picture in red letters. Yami smiled. It was controlled by thought. He narrowed his eyes. _Darek Higurashi. _He thought. The screen brought up Darek's profile and picture, but every entry was listed as CLASSIFIED. Yami cursed under his breath.

He spent the next few moments running through a mental list of names. Tristan Taylor, Drake Clawfang, Carol Bluerain, Anthony Valentino, Daxter Falk, Maximillion Pegasus, Kazuki Takahashi, Seto Kaiba. Yami found out the few pieces that Téa could not. Drake was listed as living, but his current status was not known. He had vanished about a year ago. It was listed that he was assumed DECEASED. Kazuki was listed as dead for 2 years. Pegasus was listed as alive, but has CONVERTED as his status. He was another human living under Darek's rule. _Solomon Muto. _DECEASED. Yami thought, then had a final name to enter. He narrowed his eyes and sent the thought. _Yami Atemu. _

The screen filtered on screen with Yami's profile. It was his picture alright. But again, the red letters DECEASED over his picture. Yami shook his head. Impossible, again. He had to see it for himself. Yami tried something new. A date. And a location. Several video files came up the listings. Yami browsed before finding the one that would only be the one he wanted. It was listed as TRIUMPH. Leave it to Darek. Yami opened the file and slipped on a pair of headphones. He hit PLAY, and the video started.

Yami watched the entire duel between Yugi and Darek. Every move was exactly as he remembered. Darek summoned Reshef, and Yugi was forced to defend. Then, Yugi's final move. He activated United We Stand…Yugi pointed and called out for the Dark Magician to attack. The Dark Magician raised his staff, and the screen buzzed to static. Yami growled.

"Why so surprised?" Drake chuckled. Yami stood up and spun around, the headphones and electrodes falling to the desk. Drake smirked. "Really, can't you figure it out Pharaoh? It's controlled by thought. You did that on purpose. I suppose you aren't ready to accept that what you thought happened didn't." Yami shook his head.

"No. I saw it." He said, turning. He bumped into Joey. Joey shook his head.

"Sorry Yug, but ya lost man." Joey said, shrugging.

"I didn't lose, Yugi did." Yami protested.

"So?" Kaiba snapped, appearing on Yami's left. "Yugi lost, but then, who lost to Darek beforehand? You. If only you had done a little better, this never would have happened. Face it, this is all your fault."

"NO!" Yami shouted.

"Just accept it." Kazuki sneered on his right. "I told you Yami, you and Darek are two of a kind. Evil to the core. You lost on purpose. You _let_ Darek do this. Because you don't have the guts to admit your inner evil exists."

"No." Yami insisted, holding his head.

"I came to power because of you." Darek laughed, pushing Joey and Kaiba aside. "I cannot thank you enough. I figured you would have gotten tired of betraying the greater good."

"I've never betrayed the greater good!" Yami shouted, raising his head. He gasped as he found himself atop the castle at Duelist Kingdom.

"Well Yugi?" Kaiba asked. Yami stared. The Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, rotting from the Mammoth Graveyard he had fused into it. "You have a choice. Kill me, or step down and surrender!"

"I'll never surrender. Not to you, not to Darek, not to anyone!" Yami cried.

"Then attack and destroy me!" Kaiba demanded. Yami shook his head.

"No! This isn't real!"

"Is one life really worth giving up all you've fought for?" Kaiba snapped. "Will you give up the world to save a single person?"

"I…I can't…" Yami protested. Kaiba sneered.

"Really? Then perhaps I'll make your decision easier!" Kaiba spread his arms and began to fall backwards. Yami ran forward.

"No, Kaiba!" He shouted. Kaiba fell, and Yami grabbed his arm, pulling him forward again until the two fell to the castle floor. Yami groaned as a dark chuckle came to his mind.

"So is that it?" Yami gasped as Darek reached down to wrap a hand around his neck before picking him up and holding him over the crashing waves below. "So, you would doom Mankind for one life?" Darek laughed.

"N…no…I have made a bow to protect Mankind, and I will keep it." Darek frowned.

"Really? What if it was my life that you had to give up?" Darek asked. As he spoke, his body rippled, and it was Drake holding Yami by the throat. "Or what if it was mine?" Drake asked, changing into Kaiba. Yami clenched his eyes shut as Kaiba shifted to Joey. "Tell me Yug, would ya let me die ta save the world?" Joey asked.

"Or…what about my life?" Yami's eyes popped open as Téa's voice reached his ears. "Well Yami? Would you let me die, if is meant Mankind's safety?" Yami bit his lip.Téa...he couldn't. How was he supposed to condem her to death?

"I…I…" Téa sneered.

"Do you think I would let you die if it meant _I_ could save the world?" She asked. "Allow me to give my answer." Téa drew her arm back and flung Yami over the edge of the castle. Yami let out a scream as he fell to the ocean below…

And landed on hard, fuzzy carpet. Yami gasped and lifted his head. The office. He scrambled to his feet. His electrodes and headphones lay on his desk, exactly where they had been when he had arrived. His computer screen was a sea of silver static. His chair lay overturned in the aisle.

And everyone in the office was staring at him. Yami reached up and wiped the sweat off his brow. Téa had been willing to kill him to save the world? One life…was it worth it? Yami spun as the doors to the office burst open. A man walked inside, followed by 4 Hitotsu-Me Giants. The 5 stopped before Yami, and Yami stared at the men leading the Giants.

"Pegasus…" He whispered. Pegasus nodded.

"Yami." He said. "We detected irregular programming on your computer. Explain." Yami winced.

"I…was browsing some files."

"We received word you attempted to access Darek's profile. You were also late for work."

"I had to go to the Clinic." Yami told him.

"We have no record of you being at the Clinic today." Pegasus replied. "You were also spotted in the vicinity of the bombing this morning, and a report says you were following known DRF terrorist Téa Gardner. In light of your actions today, you will be taken for interrogation." Yami opened his mouth to protest, when something large and heavy slammed into the back of his skull. Yami collapsed to the ground, and everything went black.


	5. Loyal

Reset Reality

Chapter 5

Loyal

Yami groaned and slowly opened his eyes. He had a pulsing headache, and the back of his head throbbed. He went to rub his hair, and his arm caught. He looked down. He had been handcuffed to a chair, his wrists cuffed to the arms and his ankles to the legs. Yami tugged at the restraints. He had to get out of here.

"Still struggling? You geeks never did learn when to quit." A cool voice growled. Yami stopped his struggle and looked around. The large room contained various computers and monitors. At one corner lay a large black object, like a giant canister. The source of the voice walked from behind Yami to stare before him. The figure wore a dark blue trenchcoat over black jeans and a black shirt adorned with the familiar purple Eye of Anubis that was Darek's trademark. Yami growled. Even in five years, in an alternate reality, some things never changed.

"Kaiba." He spat. Kaiba chuckled.

"Yami. It's been a while." The man replied. "When Pegasus told me we had a suspect traitor on the Project, I never imagined it would be you. I do hope the irony isn't wasted on you."

"Damn you Kaiba, how could you betray us?" Yami demanded. "You turned your back on all of us, just to survive!" Kaiba glared.

"Betray? I do believe that betrayal usually encompasses loyalty of some sort. I've been telling you all along, I was never one of your little pep squad members. Drill that into your head. We aren't, and never were allies. As for my alliance with Darek…excuse me for betting on the winning team. Plus, I was promised the chance to kill that bastard Drake as a nice incentive. Too bad we haven't seen him for so long. He's probably dead, in which case I'm rather disappointed. But I can also make due by killing you."

"Release me, and we'll see how that pans out." Yami challenged. Kaiba crossed his arms.

"You were late for work, you failed to attend the Clinic as ordered, and you were spotted near both the bombing, and Téa Gardner. Explain now why you shouldn't die for treason."

"Kaiba, this isn't the way things are supposed to be." Yami insisted. "Please, you must remember. Darek never came to power, Yugi defeated him. I don't know what has happened to change history, but this is not the way things happened! Please, you must believe me."

"Making up stories will not help." Kaiba said. "Now I'm in quite the dilemma here, Yami." He pulled a radio from his pocket. "Bring 'er." A pair of steel doors behind Kaiba slid open, and a pair of Hitotsu-Me Giants pulled in a bound Téa.

"Téa!" Yami gasped.

"Now, I can keep you and Téa locked up here as a present for Darek when he arrives tonight, or I can let you go and lead us to the rest of the DRF, and keep Téa as insurance. Decisions, decisions…" Kaiba pondered. Yami perked up.

"Darek is coming here?" He asked.

"But of course. After all, he has to be here for Project Shadow Beam to work properly." Kaiba leaned down and grabbed Yami's chin, forcing him to look up at him. "Now, this is how it will work. You will tell us all you know about the DRF. And if you do not, she will die." Yami glared. What was that word they used in modern times to express contempt? Oh yes, he remembered.

"Fuck you." Yami snapped. Kaiba raised an eyebrow and withdrew his hand before making a fist and punching Yami in the mouth, snapping his head to the side.

"Yami, I like to think I'm reasonable. Now, I am getting angry, and I'd advise you to speak." Kaiba snarled. Yami just glared. "Fine. If you will not tell us, then we'll do this the hard way." One of the Giants holding Téa left, and a few moments later, re-entered holding a long chain. Behind him, limping through the doors, was a creature.

It had wrinkled, grey skin covering its entire body, which was roughly humanoid in shape and size. It had 2 legs, one of which was longer than the rest, forcing it to take strange steps to stay balanced. It had two arms in the normal places, but the hands were weak, four-fingered things that didn't look very strong. It had a 6-inch neck that jutted forward, topped by a wolf head with 3 closed eyes. The chain was attached to a thick metal collar around its neck. The thing reminded Yami of something like the mythical werewolves he had heard of, only more frail. As the creature neared Yami, the eyes opened to stare at him sadly. Yami gasped. The eyes, though there were 3, were a light purple. Yami knew those eyes.

"Yugi…." He whispered. Kaiba chuckled.

"Now, either you will tell us of the DRF, or I shall personally order Yugi here to kill and devour her." He said, gesturing to Téa. Yugi whimpered and shrunk back as Téa began to struggle again. "Or, you can tell us what you know, and she shall live. For the time, at least."

"No…" Yami said.

"Alright then. Tell me what the DRF has planned for Project Shadow Beam, and I shall have Darek restore Yugi." Kaiba lashed out and gave a swift chop to Yugi's neck. Yugi collapsed to the ground before him, and struggled to get up on his misshapen legs. "Now, what shall it be?"

"D…" Kaiba froze at the low, raspy sound. Yugi grabbed Yami's leg and pulled himself towards the chair before putting a hand on Yami's knee to pull himself up. Yugi looked into Yami's eyes. "D….doooooo….doooooooon't." Yugi groaned, drawing out the sound. Kaiba glared and snatched Yugi's chain from the Giant and snapped it back. Yugi let out a strangled sound as he was pulled back onto his back. He writhes as Kaiba snapped the chain, lashing the metal in Yugi's throat.

"Tell me. Or they shall both die." Kaiba commanded. Yami looked up at Téa as she struggled futilely in the grasp of the hulking Kaa holding her. He then glanced down at Yugi as he struggled to right himself on his feet, no one making a move to help him. Yami hung his head, and Téa gasped.

"NO!" She screamed.

"I'll tell you everything." Yami muttered. Kaiba smiled.

"Excellent. Darek definitely knew what he was doing, making me control Domino. Once he flies in from England tonight, I'll have lots of interesting news to tell him." Yami's head shot up.

"England?" He asked. "I thought Darek was in the US."

"He is." Kaiba replied.

"But you just said…" Yami trailed off as Kaiba grinned a mysterious grin. A tiny glimmer of hope shined. "This _isn't _real!" Yami yelled triumphantly. "You slipped up! Darek leads from the US, not England! You screwed up, that proves this can't be real!"

"Real? Does it matter?" Kaiba laughed. "Real or not, it doesn't matter. What if I had Yugi rip out your throat right now? It may not be real, but I'll bet it would seem real. It changes nothing."

"It changes everything." Yami insisted, smiling happily. "You messed up. Your words prove this world is not real. I don't know what is happening here, but it is just an illusion." Kaiba narrowed his eyes before turning to Yugi.

"Attack!" He snarled. Yugi leapt, unable to disobey, and knocked Téa to the ground. Yugi growled and reached for Téa's throat, Téa's hands coming up to barely block him.

"Now then, shall we try this again?" Kaiba snickered, noting Yami's shocked reaction. "Now, tell me of the DRF." Yami hesitated. What if he was reading too much into that? It was just a slip of the tongue. Maybe this was real…

"They have something planned for Project Shadow Beam. What, I do not know, I have not contacted them until today. I am to meet a contact sometime later today, but I haven't been told who they are, or where I will meet them. That is all I know." Yami said. Kaiba nodded.

"I see. Very well then. Yami, you shall be returned to your work station, and you shall proceed with your plan to meet with the DRF. At that point, I shall have the army destroy their main forces. Thank you Yami. Your help shall lead us to the downfall of the DRF."

"I won't." Yami insisted.

"You will, or she shall die." Kaiba said, pulling Téa to him by the shoulder. "Do as we ask, and I give you my word, she shall be allowed to live."

"And Yugi?" Yami reminded him.

"I'll try and talk Darek into changing him back, but I make no guarantees." Kaiba replied. Yami glared.

"Very well. You shall have the DRF. What about Project Shadow Beam?" Kaiba smiled.

"It shall go forward as planned." He said. Yami clenched his fists as Kaiba cast a glance at Téa. "Take her to a holding cell." He muttered, tossing her to one of the Giants. Yugi hung his head as the Giant grabbed his chain to lead him away. "Either Téa or the DRF, Yami. One of the them shall be destroyed tonight. Your choice." Yami's breath hitched as the other Giant stepped forward. Those visions at work…one life for the world…

"I'll be watching." Kaiba finished, turning and walking away. As he left, the Giant chuckled and made a fist. Yami's world went black as the giant Kaa rammed its fist into his face.

- - - - - - - - - -

Yami lifted his head and looked around. He was back in his cubicle. His computer screen was blank, the CPU turned off. Everyone else was gone. Yami stood and looked around.

"Hey Yugi!" A voice called. Yugi turned to see a colored man wave him towards the door. "C'mon, we were told to head to the roof."

"For what?" He asked. The man's gaze darkened.

"He's arriving to oversee the execution of Project Shadow Beam." The man explained. Yami narrowed his eyes and followed him. The man led Yami to the elevator, and they took it to the top floor. There, a crowd had gathered near a railing at one edge of the building. Yami growled and pushed his way through them. He had to see. He noticed a series of telescopes set up along the railing, and pushed his way to one. He looked up as a large shuttle flew down. Beyond the building edge was a building with a large, flat roof. A landing pad. The large shuttle landed, and a hatch opened on the side. Yami put his eye to the telescope and focused in on it.

7 feet tall. A bronze tan. Black, wavy hair to the waist. A muscular body. Black boots. Baggy, purple silk pants. A long, red cape. A pair of dark brown eyes that pierced the soul. Even after 5 years, Lord Darek Higurashi still looked the same. Darek stepped off the shuttle and shook hands with Kaiba, who was waiting. Kaiba looked like he was saying something, and Darek smiled. Yami scowled. No doubt his old rival had just informed Darek of Téa's capture, and the impending downfall of the DRF. Kaiba and Darek turned to leave, then stopped. Kaiba said something, and Darek turned around to stare straight up ay Yami.

Yami withdrew from his telescope and stared back. Even though they were over a hundred meters apart, Yami and Darek locked eyes. Yami's blood boiled. This was him. The man who had slaughtered his friends. The man who had turned Yugi into a monster. The man who had practically single-handedly enslaved the world. Bearer of the mighty Kaa Reshef the Dark Being. Owner of Six of the Seven Millennium Items. Controller of Shiva, Golem, Efrite and Pazuzu, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Barbarian King of Western Egypt. Lord of the Setting Sun **(1). **Darek.

"Five years ago, I made a mistake. And I intend to correct it." Yami whispered. "This ends tonight Darek." Yami knew there was no way Darek could have heard him. And even if he had, he knew there was no way he could have heard his reply. But he did.

"Yes Pharaoh." Darek chuckled. "It does."

**1: Setting Sun, or Sunset, translated into Higurashi. Hence Darek's last name.**


	6. Old Friends

Reset Reality

**To quote from Total Recall: Get ready for a surprise!**

Chapter 6

Old Friends

Darek turned and walked away, breaking his gaze with Yami. Yami followed suit and turned, pushing his way through the crowd. He bumped elbows with a large man, who spun around.

"Did you push me ya runt?" He snarled, shoving Yami in the back. Yami turned.

"I'm not in the mood." He growled. The man snarled grabbed Yami by the collar with a single hand, hauling him up to eye level. The man winked, prompting Yami to furrow his brow in confusion. The man reached up to the hand holding Yami and pulled back his sleeve. Tattooed on the lower arm in black were the letters 'DRF'. Yami smirked.

"My contact?" He whispered. The man shook his head.

"No, a messenger. Your contact is in your cubicle. Pretend to go to the bathroom, and double back. We want him off the scent." He whispered. Yami nodded, and the man tossed him to the ground. "Next time watch ya back!" The man snapped. He flashed Yami a discreet thumbs up and vanished back into the crowd. Yami turned and entered the elevator, taking it down to the floor with his office. He walked down the hall and pushed open the bathroom door, then spun and dashed into his office.

With no computers on and no one there, it _should_ have been quiet. But as Yami began to walk to his cubicle, several sounds came from it. Hissing machinery. Labored breathing, with the occasional cough. And a low whir. Yami rounded the corner and stared into his cubicle.

Sitting calmly, waiting for him, was a man in a wheelchair. He had a crop of matted, dirty-blonde hair that looked like it had gotten a few bad haircuts, the strands all of different lengths. His right hand was gripping a control stick for the wheelchair. His other hand held an oxygen mask attached to a pump on the back of the chair. That explained the hissing. His left leg went to the foot, but was obviously broken. His right leg ended at the thigh. The man was overall very dirty, and looked like he had been through Hell to survive like this, even though in such a condition he would probably not recover.

"Fa….far…." The man wheezed. He coughed and raised the oxygen mask to his mouth, taking a breath. "Far…far….faaaaa…..roh…." The man gasped.

"Pharaoh?" Yami asked. The man nodded, and Yami let out a breath. His contact. "You're my contact with the DRF?" He reasoned. The man nodded.

"Ye, yes. Been a while, huh?" He asked, grinning, showing off a few missing teeth. Yami frowned.

"Been a while?" He muttered.

"Oh yeah…5 years…" The man paused to cough again and take another breath of air from his mask. "I suppose….I've changed a bit." The man pushed forward on his controls and wheeled to a foot in front of Yami. "But hey…what's a few years and a couple trips through Hell between friends? Eh Yug?" The man smiled again, and Yami gasped, taking a step back. Yug…the man reached up to brush a stand of matted-blonde hair from his cinnamon-brown eyes.

"T…Téa said you were dead." Yami stammered. The man shook his head.

"Close…but not quite. C'mon Yug, like I would get killed by someone like Darek?" He joked.

"Joey…my God, what happened to you?" Yami whispered. Joey Wheeler shrugged.

"Blast…got caught…I barely escaped. I lived though. But sometimes, it isn't fun." Joey coughed out the last word, reaching for another breath.

"What is the DRF planning?" Yami asked. Joey smiled.

"Dunno. I was sent to direct you to the base." He said.

"You mean…the DRF base?" Yami asked. Joey nodded.

"Yeah…the boss…he wants to brief you himself." He explained. Yami nodded back. So, the DRF commander wanted to see him in person. Yup, Project Shadow Beam was a big deal alright, to _both_ sides.

"Where is he?" Yami asked.

"Ca…can't tell ya…" Joey said. "G…go east two blocks, turn right. Keep going that direction. You'll." Joey paused for a cough. "You'll know it when you see it. Trust me." He assured him. Yami nodded.

"Joey…" He said sadly.

"Not now Yug. Or Yami, whatever." Joey took a breath. "Now's not the time to dwell on the past. We have to act now, or else there is no future for anyone. Go. His men are probably getting suspicious." Yami remembered Kaiba telling him he would be watching, and nodded. Yami turned to leave. "I'll see ya." Joey offered. Yami nodded and stepped out into the hall. As he left, a figure stepped from the shadows in the cubicle next to Yami's.

"Good work." Joey looked up the man's 7-foot frame to his dark brown eyes.

"Yeah…he'll meet the DRF commander in person." Joey said. The man chuckled, his long black hair shaking. **(1)**

"Yeah…won't he be surprised?" He laughed.

- - - - - - - - - -

Yami made a right like Joey said. The streets were abandoned. Up in the air, among the skyscrapers was Darek's realm. This place…the dirty streets, the broken-down buildings, the steam emerging from the sewer grates, the fallen and falling rubble covering the pavement.

Darek ruled above. But the DRF commanded the streets. Yami stopped and looked over his shoulder. Nothing. No Kaa in the sky, no one on the streets. No homeless people like before, no noise, no sound…nothing. Yami narrowed his eyes and looked forward, beginning to walk again. There it was again. A footstep, carefully timed to line up with his own to avoid being heard. But not timed enough .Yami took a step and spuin around. Victory.

Hiding behind a piece of rubble to his right was a Shadow Ghoul that had been surprised and vanished as Yami spotted him. On the roofs, two wolf-like Kaa had been prowling before they had pulled back. Behind and to the left, hidden in a large shadow was a Dark Chimera. No doubt Kaiba's trackers. Yami darted his eyes to the sides, pretending to look around, then walked forward again, a little quicker this time. Hopefully, his faster pace wouldn't be noticed.

"Screeeee!" A large bird Kaa screeched, swooping down the streets. Or not. Yami dove as the bird raked through the air. Yami stood up and tore off at a run. The Shadow Ghoul leapt from the darkness, and Yami grabbed a piece of a fallen streetlight, swinging it around. It smacked the Ghoul in the head and knocked it to the ground, the Kaa fading into a purple haze as it melted away. The two wolf Kaa leapt down to the streets, and one leapt for Yami. Yami rolled to the side and slammed his weapon into the creature's nose, knocking it to the ground. The Dark Chimera spread its wings, and Yami opted for running. The Kaa fired a burst of flame, and Yami cried out as the heat nearly caught him. He skidded to a stop and spun, using his momentum to swing his weapon into the side of the wolf Kaa leaping for him. The creature flew back and rolled, collapsing into a heap of purple haze. The Dark Chimera fired, and Yami caught the second wolf Kaa with his weapon before falling out of the way and holding the creature into the jet of fire.

Yami stood and ran again. The bird Kaa above screeched and swooped down, flying right towards him. Yami kept running as the Kaa stretched it talons. Yami dove suddenly, and the bird flew into the Dark Chimera. The two went down as the talons tore into the Dark Chimera. Yami spun and through his weapon like a spear. It speared through the bird Kaa's heart, and the two vanished in a flash of purple mist. Yami panted and looked around. Wait a minute…Joey said he would know the DRF base when he saw it.

To his right was the Domino Museum. Yami narrowed his eyes and walked up the museum steps. He listened and heard nothing following. The doors to the museum were closed tightly, a thick chain binding the handles. Yami tugged at the chain in frustration. This had to be the place Joey meant. So why were the doors chained? Yami shook his head and rested it against the wooden doors. He stood up after a moment and began to circle to the side of the building. Near the back, a single door had been left ajar. Yami slid in and looked around outside before closing it behind him.

Inside, the museum was dark and dank. Yami walked down the halls, remembering the path he had taken with Téa. Just a month ago, and yet, 5 years ago at the same time. The door to the basement was locked. Yami tried the handle, but it didn't budge. He backed up and charged. The door fell down, and Yami gasped as he fell on top of it, and it slid down the stairs. It hit the floor and pitched forward, dumping Yami on the ground. He groaned, then opened his eyes as five pistols clicked.

"Intruder." Someone muttered. Yami looked up. Five men were pointing handguns square at his head. "Identify yourself." One of them snapped.

"Ya…Yugi Muto." Yami said. The man grunted.

"Wrong answer. You're an engineer on the Project. Die."

"Stand down Jackson. He's safe." A voice said. Yugi frowned. He knew that voice. The man Jackson turned.

"But Commander, he's an engineer!"

"True, but he's also a turncoat for us. That means he lives, for now. Disengage." Jackson nodded, and the 5 men dispersed. Now Yami could see that the basement was alive with activity. Soldiers in black loading weapons and sharing food. Surveillance cameras around the city. Men and women exchanging information. But what had Yami's attention now was the man standing before him, the one Jackson had called Commander.

"Dax!"

**1: I know what you're thinking, and who you think it is. Is it? We'll have to find out, won't we?**


	7. We Meet Again

Reset Reality

Chapter 7

We Meet Again

Daxter Falk shrugged and looked down at Yami.

"So, Joey sent you. I was worried he wouldn't find you." Dax muttered. "Welcome."

"You….Dax. You're the commander of the DRF?" Yami asked. Dax looked around.

"Get up. We don't have much time." He said, pulling Yami to his feet. "And no, I'm not." He whispered in Yami's ear. Yami gave him a strange look, but Dax ignored it and led Yami through the bowels of the museum. They entered a small office, and Dax closed the door, locking it.

"Dax, what's going?" Yami demanded.

"We apologize for our…long-term method of contacting you. But with Kaiba's spies everywhere, we needed to be discreet."

"Dax…what does the DRF want me to do?" Yami asked.

"I don't know." Dax replied. "I'm not their commander, I told you."

"But that man called you…"

"I'm a ploy." Dax explained. "I lead the DRF as a front. Our real commander is someone none of them have seen. He is the one who wishes to see you."

"Where is he? _Who_ is he?" Yami asked.

"He awaits in the Domino Library." Dax said. "Yami, Project Shadow Beam begins in 2 hours. We cannot afford any mistakes."

"And what about Téa?" Yami demanded.

"She is a member of the DRF. She is prepared to give her life for the cause, as we all are." Dax said with a shrug.

"You will do nothing to save her?" Yami roared.

"We can do nothing. Téa is a sacrifice, Yami. One I admit I would rather not make, but it cannot be helped." Dax said coldly. "Yami, Téa cannot be saved, nor can Yugi. If you try to save them, Darek and Kaiba will kill you, and them."

"Then you'll leave them to die?" Yami shouted.

"Yes." Dax said simply. "Yami…I want you to go out that door…look around. Look at what you see. Tell me you will not fight to save what you see. There is a woman to the left, in a blue cloak. Ask her to show you." Yami gave Dax an odd look. But he listened and emerged back in the main base. He looked to the left and spotted the woman in the cloak Dax had mentioned, and stepped forward.

"Dax…sent me to you. To show me?" Yami asked. The woman looked up, revealing sad grey eyes.

"Ah…you wish to see them." She said. "Follow me." She stood and led Yami down another hall of the base.

"They're using Kaa for the manpower here, an attack will not be enough, we'll need to blast."

"Food rations are good for another week. I've talked to Dax about raiding an outpost, but we don't have the manpower."

"I think we may be able to convince a few of the Kaa to fight Darek's control, but with all the humans keeping them in line…" snips and clips of conversation flitted past Yami's ears as he was led down a path only the woman knew. Finally, she led him to a closed door.

"Brace yourself." The woman said, pushing the door open. Whatever Yami was expecting, it wasn't what he got. The large room behind the door was painted bright blue. Red, yellow, and green furniture littered the room, most of it broken or in poor condition. Scattered toys, also in poor shape, littered the floor with some storybooks. What was most surprising were the people in the room.

Children. About a dozen or so children were running around. 3 or 4 appeared to be playing tag. The others were just lounging, coloring or building with a small bucket of discolored building blocks. One had a paintbrush and was painting on a sheet of paper, but had trouble holding the brush that was too big for her.

"Who are they?" Yami asked.

"Refugees, like us." The woman explained. "Rescued from Darek." She gave Yami a pointed look. "He breeds them." Yami turned.

"What?"

"Darek. He breeds them. From age 2 on, Darek breeds them. His men neglect, they abuse, they starve, and frequently beat them. All part of breeding them. They do all they can to mistreat them, and fill their hearts with darkness. The more hatred, despair, loneliness and anger in their hearts, the stronger their Kaa becomes. And when Darek wants a strong soldier, he takes one of them, has it killed, and extracts the Kaa inside."

"Barbaric." Yami growled.

"Yes. We try to free as many as we can, but Darek has many warehouses that keep children like this inside." The woman said sadly. "I have to go." She said, slipping back out the door. Yami watched her go, then stepped into the room. A few children looked up at him, but then turned back to whatever they were doing. Yami walked to the little girl he had seen painting, and looked down.

It was a street in Domino, a normal street with a line of people walking down it. But a jagged line had been drawn down the middle of the page. In the left was the normal Domino. But as the people on the page entered the right side, they transformed into feral-looking Kaa. The Domino of the right side of the page was broken down with dark clouds overhead.

"Shadow Realm." The little girl whispered, looking up at Yami. Yami turned his attention to her. She only looked like she was 8. Children so young should not have been painting such horrifying works.

"I see." Yami said. "Is that was it does?" He asked. The girl nodded.

"Yup. The Shadow Realm makes everything dark. Cities, sky, people…" She said. "My mommy got caught by it when it first came. Bad men took me to a place. It was dark, and they hurt me. Then Mr. Dax rescued me 2 years ago! He said the Shadow Realm wasn't in this place."

"Yes. This place is safe for now." Yami agreed. "I'm Yami."

"I'm Mai." The little girl said. "I used to be called 143 at the bad place, but Mr. Dax gave me a new name!"

"He did?" Yami asked, surprised at the choice of name, especially from Dax.

"Yup! Mr. Dax said there's a woman in the Shadow Realm who looks as cute as me! And he's gonna rescue her too someday! Mr. Dax says the woman is real pretty, and he liked her a long time ago! But she liked someone else that Mr. Dax calls 'Mutt', so Mr. Dax says he wants to save her before Mutt dies so she can see him again!" The girl said with a grin. "Mr. Dax comes here all the time to see me. I want him to rescue my friends at the bad place! This boy Mokuba used to protect me from the bad men! I wanna save him so he doesn't have to hurt anymore."

"Mokuba…" Yami whispered. That couldn't possibly be the Mokuba he knew, could it? If that was Mokuba Kaiba's fate…he wondered if Kaiba knew what had happened to him. Or, given his current status, maybe he knew but didn't care. And Mai and Joey…did either of them know the other was still alive? Who knew Dax could be so valiant…but then again, who knew Téa could be so violent?

"You might not be able to." Yami informed Mai. "You might have to save other people and their friends. You may not be able to save your own." Yami reflected on his choice to save Téa. He couldn't just let the woman die, but if he tried to save her, he may very well lose his life, and his chance to stop Darek.

"Nope." Mai said, shaking her head. "I'm gonna save my friends! I'm gonna go back someday and free everyone, and we'll all be happy. I don't care about other people. Sometimes you have to be selfish, that's what Mr. Dax says." Mai looked up at the door to the room. Yami followed her gaze to see Dax staring at them. "Mr. Dax!" Mai shouted, waving. Dax nodded and beckoned Yami forward.

"Mai, I'll be back." Dax called, leading Yami from the room. "You see? There's more to fight for than just us, Yami." Dax looked to the side and pulled open another door, revealing a small ladder. "You need to go. This leads back to the surface. Go. Find the commander, and do as he says. I'm just a messenger." Yami started to reply, but Dax pushed him through the door and closed it behind him. Yami tried to open it, but it was no use. Frustrated, he climbed up.

The ladder emerged in another cloudy, deserted street. Yami looked around. Well…that was convenient. He walked down the street and up the stone steps of the Domino Library. He pushed open the doors and entered. The area was as dark as a crypt. Yami stepped forward, and a candelabra on a table by his side lit up its three candles. Yami stared at it before he picked it up, and began to walked down the lonely hall.

"Z…Y…X…" Yami droned, noting the shelf labels. All the isles were filled with rubble and fallen books. Some even had a few bodies. Yami continued this path until he found a single isle that was spotless: right between D and C. Yami narrowed his eyes and walked down this isle. No books, no rubble…this isle had obviously been cleared. At the end of the aisle was a large, metal door with a heavy metal latch locking it. Yami pulled up the rusting latch and pushed the door open. It squeaked and slid open, and Yami slipped inside, the door slamming shut behind him, a short burst of air from the closing door blowing out Yami's light.

"Welcome, Yami." A voice called from with pitch darkness of the room. "I've been waiting for you." Yami frowned. That voice sounded oddly familiar.

"You are the Commander of the DRF?" Yami asked.

"I am. And I thank you for cooperating. I am in dire need of your help. I know all about you Yami, and I know you can help me." The voice replied.

"You have a 1 up on me." Yami said. "You know me, but I do not know you." The voice chuckled.

"You know me all too well, Yami." The voice said.

"Then show yourself! I am not in a mood for games!" Yami yelled.

"Well…if you put it that way." The voice muttered. Yami blinked as a series of electric lights on the ceiling lit up, illuminating the room. He looked around and gasped. The room was fairly long, with a table stretching down it. Shelves of books lined the walls. But what had Yami's attention was the man sitting at the far end of the table.

"You…" Yami whispered, glaring. The man smiled.

"Yami…is something wrong?" The man laughed. Yami clenched his fist and slammed his hands down on the table.

"DAREK!" He snarled. Darek held up his hands.

"You were expecting someone else?" He sneered. "Surprise, Pharaoh!"

**My next story…is a big one!**

**Legend of the Dragon Lord**

**A Mega-Crossover of Pokemon, Digimon, Yugioh and Inuyasha, in that order.**

**1000 years ago, a powerful sorcerer known as the Dragon Lord nearly conquered the world. However, a brave warrior of unknown name sealed him away. The Dragon Lord's soul was sealed in a red gemstone, and his powers in a green jade amulet, both a half of an amulet the Dragon Lord wore. According to myth, if the two parts should be reunited, the Dragon Lord would be reborn. The two parts were scattered across the world, and this is how they should have remained, forever out of the other's reach. Unfortunately, fate has other ideas…**


	8. It Comes To This

Reset Reality 

**Next chappie is the finale! What will Yami do? Can Domino be saved? Or Téa, or Yugi? Find out! **

Chapter 8 

It Comes To This 

"What are you doing here?" Yami snarled. Darek shrugged.

"I told you, I'm the leader of the DRF." Darek replied.

"Bullshit!" Yami snapped. Darek sighed and reached down to pick up a worn briefcase, and set it on the table.

"Yami…what do you want?" Darek asked.

"I want things back the way they were!" Yami shouted. "Where you were defeated, everyone was safe, Yugi and Téa…" He trailed off. He was willing to admit he was starting to feel more than friendship for the girl, but she had feelings for Yugi, and had told him so. But that didn't change how he felt.

"So…things were better?" Darek concluded.

"Infinitely better!" Yami confirmed. "Darek, please. Admit it, you know things are not supposed to be this way. Things were good, things…"

"Oh, shove it Yami!" Darek snarled. Yami was taken back. Darek never spoke like that. He watched as the warlord's overall demeanor changed before his eyes. "Things were good, HA! You cannot change the past, no matter how much you wish you could. What you can change is the future, and if you don't try to do so, if you just wallow in your own misery and self-pity, you'll have no future at all, but a future filled with more misery." Yami sighed as he caught on.

"Drake." He said. Darek glared. "Cut the act Drake, I'm not an idiot." Yami explained. Darek stared at him angrily for a moment, before he broke down and started laughing.

"Well well...you got me." Drake Clawfang admitted, shaking his head in amusement. "Yeah, it's me. Long time no see, huh Pharaoh? I figure Darek was in his early twenties when he was sealed, so hey, age me five years…kinda creepy, looking like him. But it's good for intimidation." He shrugged and sat back in his chair as Yami walked towards him.

"Drake, please, you have to understand, this place is wrong." Yami pleaded.

"Oh I know." Drake said with a strange smile. "So many things wrong, all so wrong…Kaiba a traitor, Téa a merciless terrorist, Dax a valiant freedom fighter…you alive and well." Yami did a double take. "Oh yes, has no one told you? You're long dead Yami." Yami stumbled back.

"What?" He whispered.

"You're dead Yami. I watched Darek slit your throat with my own eyes." Drake explained. Yami shook his head.

"That…that's impossible." He whispered. "I'm right here!"

"Yes, you're here, but you're not here." Drake said.

"What are you talking about?" Yami asked. Drake blinked.

"It comes to this." He whispered. "Yami, Project Shadow Beam is the absolute. Succeed or fail, either way, a line _will_ be drawn, and that line will determine Mankind's fate. You have a choice to make."

"Why me?" Yami demanded. He had never felt so…completely helpless. It was something he wasn't used to, and something he didn't want to become used to.

"Only you can get close enough to disable it." Drake said. "I'll rally Dax and DRF to try and forge an assault team, but you're our best chance."

"Drake…they have Téa." Yami pleaded. Drake nodded.

"Yes…I know." He said sadly. "Téa…believe me when I say I wish that she could be saved. But she cannot."

"There must be a way!" Yami roared.

"She can be saved, but if you save her, you'll give Darek the time he needs to use Project Shadow Beam." Drake said. "Yami, is one life worth the world?" Yami hung his head. That fatal question…was one life worth the world? Most of the time, yes, if it came to such an extreme. But Téa's life…he didn't have an answer, and wasn't sure he wanted one.

"Here." Drake said, sliding the briefcase he had to Yami. Yami reached to open it, and found a dusty Duel Disk, with a worn stack of cards next to it. "I've been saving those for 5 years." Drake admitted. "I gave up the power of my piece of the Puzzle." Drake pulled out a large piece from under his shirt- the Eye of Anubis that had been the final piece when the Puzzle was first put together- and showed it off. "I gave up my protection, to enchant those cards. With the Shadow Realm…Yami, you're our only hope. You can't fail us. The time has come to make a choice. Yami. Téa, or the world. Which will you save?"

"I…don't know." Yami confessed. Drake frowned and stood up.

"Yami, this is our last chance. Our last hope rides with you. You can save Téa, Yami, I'll tell you that. But if you do, Darek will activate Project Shadow Beam, the Shadow Realm will be one with him, and he'll be a god. You can kill Darek and destroy the Beam, but if you do so, they _will_ execute Téa and Yugi as a punishment to you. And no matter what you choose, there is still no guarantee that you'll live. Either way, you probably won't." Drake stopped and walked past Yami to the metal door that led back to the library.

"Save Téa, or save the world." Drake called as he opened the door. "One or the other, Yami. Or neither. But not both." Drake slipped out the door, leaving Yami alone, staring as his old Duel Disk.

- - - - - - - - - - -

A million 'What-ifs' ran through Yami's mind. The former Pharaoh was perched atop Curse of Dragon, the card in his Duel Disk. Drake was right, with the Shadow Realm covering Japan…Yami was relieved to have at least one edge in this battle. The only edge he had, actually.

What if he had killed Kaiba in Duelist Kingdom? Would this choice still be so hard to make? What if he had never gotten his own body? What if he had just kept his distance from Yugi and his friends, instead of actually getting to know them? No doubt, if his feelings for Téa weren't around, this choice would be a no brainer. So many 'What-ifs'…

Across the horizon, the dark spires of Project Shadow Beam rose from the roof of Kaiba Corp. Yami narrowed his eyes and hunkered down. Several flying Kaa were circling the building. As they got closer, Yami sat up and gasped. On the center spire, was a struggling figure, hanging from a chain connected to the spire.

"Téa…" Yami whispered. As if on cue, several of the Kaa turned to fly towards Yami. Yami growled.

"Curse of Dragon!" He ordered. The yellow creature screeched and fired several fireballs. Several Kaa were caught in the blasts, but more came to attack. Yami reached for his Duel Disk. "Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl!" The two mages appeared in the air, and the two fired beams of magic that skewered more Kaa. Yami swooped towards Kaiba Corp as the 5 spires began to glow. Yami gasped. It was powering up!

"Téa!" he yelled.

"Destroy the spires!" Téa called. "Forget me, destroy the spires!" Yami froze up as the spires began to hum, purple electricity flowing through them. Sparks of energy began to zap from them to the center spire, the spike on it beginning to spin. A void opened in the sky above as the clouds began to circle Kaiba Corp.

"The spires!" Téa screamed, tugging at her chains. Yami bit his lip. A fireball attack on the spires might, or rather, probably _would_ kill her. The spikes spun faster as the center spire began to glow. Yami frantically leafed through his deck.

"Kuriboh!" He called, summoning the little furball. "Destroy Téa's chains!" Yami ordered. Kuriboh flew through the air and collided with the center spire. It exploded on impact, and Téa's chains went limp as the woman fell to the roof. The center spire sparked and stopped glowing as the spikes slowed to a stop.

"We did it!" Yami cheered.

"No, we just stopped the ignition, the system is still active!" Téa called. A door on the roof opened, and Kaiba marched out to grab Téa by the hair and pulled her inside. "Yami, destroy the spires, stop the Project!" Téa pleaded as she vanished inside. Yami piloted Curse of Dragon to the roof and recalled it, followed by recalling the Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl.

"Téa." Yami whispered. He looked up at the looming black spires above him. Darek…Téa…Yami narrowed his eyes and descended into Kaiba Corp. Téa, Kaiba, Darek, and a fateful choice awaited him.


	9. One Life

Reset Reality

**I do not own 'Kryptonite' by 3 Doors Down. However, I do thank them for writing a cool song that I think fits this chappie perfectly.**

Chapter 9

One Life

"Well look here showed up." Kaiba sneered as Yami threw open the door to the main chamber.

"Darek!" He snarled, pointing at the warlord. Darek turned, revealing Téa clutched to his chest. Darek's familiar Millennium Glove was wrapped around her throat.

"You rang?" Darek called with a grin. Yami glared.

"Let her go." He growled. Darek pursed his lip.

"Uh…no, I don't think so. As a matter of fact, I'm thinking of finishing the Project, and killing her and Yugi before I kill you."

"Darek…this ends now." Yami snapped. Darek nodded.

"Yes…it does." He agreed. He raised a hand, and the armed guards in the chamber raised their guns to aim at Yami.

_I took a walk around the world to ease my troubled mind…_

_I left my body buried somewhere in the sands of time…_

"Fire on my command." Darek sneered. He began to lower his hand, and the wall of Kaiba Corp exploded. Darek spun his head around, and Téa wrenched herself from his grasp, running across the room. As Yami watched, several DRF members filtered through the smoke and began to open fire. What was surprising him was the three people leading the charge.

Drake, Dax and Joey were at the head of the team, each armed with a simple shotgun. But they were their younger forms, as Yami remembered them. Joey was perfectly healthy, Drake was no longer a Darek look-a-like…what was happening?

"Yugi!" Darek roared. The disfigured Kaa looked up sadly. "Kill Téa!" Darek ordered. Yugi's eyes widened, and he shrunk back. Darek held up a glowing Millennium Glove, and Yugi's chain snapped. With a snarl, he leapt and started to bound towards Téa. Darek sneered and swept down to the main floor.

_I watched the world turn to the dark side of the moon…_

_I feel there's nothin' I can do…yeah…_

Yami watched as Darek's guards and the DRF began to attack each other. Darek marched across the chamber, pushing aside friend and foe alike. Yami looked across the room, and saw it: a large readout screen, with a power dial climbing higher and higher. A large lever lay beside it.

"Project Shadow Beam." Yami whispered. In Darek's way ahead, Drake threw a punch, landing it smoothly in Kaiba's stomach. Kaiba spun and landed a kick to Drake's jaw, sending him spinning. As he spun, Drake grabbed a shotgun from a DRF member behind him, and pushed it onto Kaiba's chest, firing. Kaiba flew back in the air and landed limply, his head lolling back.

_I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon…  
After all I knew it had to be something to do with you…_

Yami spun around as Téa's scream reached his ears. Yugi had her cornered, struggling to fight Darek's command. Téa went to dodge past him, and Yugi cut her off, snarling. How much longer could he resist the urge to kill?

Darek marched to Drake, and grabbed his skull. With a swift chop to the back of Drake's neck with the Millennium Glove, Drake's head snapped back in a way no living person could hope to do. Darek tossed Drake's body aside, and turned as Joey ran towards him. Darek simply pulled back the Millennium Glove and landed a fierce uppercut to Joey's chin, the Millennium Glove shining. Joey flew backwards and landed ten feet away, his eyes staring blankly. Darek turned once more and landed a punch to Dax's stomach, doubling him over. Darek grabbed Dax's head with both hand, and twisted. Dax's neck snapped, and Darek let him drop limply to the floor. Something skidded out of Dax's hands to glide to Yami's feet. Yami reached to pick it up.

A handgun.

_I really don't mind what happens now and then…_

_As long as you'll be my friend at the end!_

Yami clenched his eyes shut, a tear falling down his cheek. Joey…dead. Kaiba…dead. Tristan, Drake, Dax, Anthony, Carol, Kazuki…all dead. All dead…except Téa.

One last chance to save Mankind. All it needed for salvation was a single life. Téa's life.

The life of the only friend Yami had left. One friend in a sea of false memories, horrid nightmares come alive, and Darek in power.

_If I go crazy, then will you still call me Superman?_

_If I'm alive and well will you still be there holdin' my hand?_

Yami looked up and saw Darek near the activation level for the Project. He also saw Yugi hunker down to leap.

Then, time stopped…and Yami saw. The one thing to be valued above all else. The one thing he knew, he couldn't let go of.

He loved Téa.

He had made a vow to save the world…

One chance…the one thing he was not going to let be destroyed…

_I'll keep you by my side with my superhuman might…_

Darek sneered and reached for the lever as the power readout flashed at full capacity…

Yugi snarled and leapt towards Téa's exposed throat…

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" A voice yelled. Yami knew who it was. It was Téa. And Drake, and Dax, and Joey. Tristan, Kaiba, Carol, Anthony, even Darek to a point…some sort of joined voice of everyone he knew called to him.

Téa…

The world…

_Kryptonite…_

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Yami screamed. He looked up, raised his gun, and fired.

- - - - - - - - - -

"HM...AN INTERESTING CHOICE, ATEMU."

Dark…black…everything was dark, and black. Yami looked around. Darek, Téa, Kaiba Corp…it was all gone. All that was left was this dark place. And that voice…even when they had discovered his lost last name, no one used it. They still called him Yami, no one called him Atemu.

"I MUST SAY, I ENJOYED THIS GAME ATEMU." The voice boomed. "I HAD FUN. BUT MUCH MORE IMPORTANTLY…I LEARNED A GREAT DEAL ABOUT YOU." Yami glared. FUN? This sick creature thought what he had just been forced to do was fun!

"TELL ME, ATEMU…IS ONE LIFE WORTH THE WORLD?" the voice asked. Yami closed his eyes and lowered his head as the voice chuckled.

"BUT THEN…I SUPPOSE YOU'VE ALREADY ANSWERED THAT QUESTION…HAVEN'T YOU?" the voice asked. Yami raised his head to answer, and was blinded by a ray of white light from the darkness. He raised a hand to shield himself, and the light faded somewhat. Yami lowered his arm…

And was met by the sight of a bird's nest in a tree outside the window. Yami jumped up. Yugi's room. He looked out the window to see the sun just rising from the cityscape of Domino. Yami looked down at Yugi's alarm clock. Barely 5 am. He reached up to wipe the cold sweat off his brow. He bit his lip. That…couldn't possibly have been a dream…could it? Yami sighed and walked downstairs.

- - - - - - - - - -

"I couldn't have been a dream…I was _there_. I saw it all happening. This…this had to have been real." Yami said into the telephone.

"Uh-huh." Drake yawned on the other end of the line. "And you called me at 5 in the morning to tell me about your nightmare…why?"

"I…I'm not sure." Yami admitted. "I just wanted to tell someone."

"Sure, I can believe that, but why me? Why not Téa, or Joey, or…hell, why not anyone else besides me? We don't exactly have the best history Pharaoh. Battle City, Konami Grand Prix, ring a bell?"

"Yeah, it does." Yami replied. "But…I dunno. I didn't want to tell them…I couldn't. Drake…I've never had a dream like that before."

"It happens." Drake said. "Welcome to being human, I'm Drake, I'll be your reluctant confidant this morning." Yami chuckled slightly.

"Sure…Sorry to have woken you Drake…I just had to get this off my chest."

"No prob, just call at a decent hour next time." Drake said. Yami went to hang up. "Hey, hold on." Drake said suddenly. Yami lifted the receiver back to his ear.

"Yes Drake?" He asked.

"You told me the dream…up until you aimed the gun." Drake said, sounding confused. "Who did you aim for?" Yami was silent. "Hey, Pharaoh…Yami? You still there?" Drake asked, using Yami's actual name. "Who did you try to save?"

"Drake." Yami whispered. "In that dream…I had to make a choice. It's not a choice I wanted to make. It's a choice I hope I never have to make for real. And it's a choice I'm not proud of. And if I had to make that choice again…I'll make the same choice. And as much as I hate to admit it…that scares me."

"Okay…so c'mon, you're killing me. Téa or the world?"

"I'll see you around Drake." Yami said, pulling the receiver back.

"Huh? Hey Pharaoh, what are y-." Drake's voice was cut off as Yami gently hung up.

**THE END**

**Yes…I know. Did Yami try to save Téa, or did he try to stop Darek?**

**Sadly, there are some questions that even the author doesn't know the answer to. But…what do _you_ think Yami did?**


End file.
